This new Google Discover format could destroy clickbait

Google is constantly testing and adjusting its Discover feed, from recently changing how images are displayed (thanks, Google, we hate the new look), to finally adding Discover to Chrome on desktops. If Google is at the helm, the only constant is change, and today it has been revealed that Google is testing a redesign that does away with article titles, instead displaying article snippets from the body, which could be a great way to battle clickbait on Discover.

Google Discover is testing a new format that may be the answer to clickbait titles

Can less emphasis on titles fix this longstanding problem?

If you think about it, clickbait titles exist because Google encourages them by rewarding some of the worst titles with endless traffic. Sure, you could argue that Google is simply serving what people are clamoring for, but at the end of the day, the destruction clickbait has caused to the online publishing industry is quite clear.

A simple solution to clickbait titles would be to not show them, or at the very least, show them with much less emphasis, and this is precisely what Google appears to be testing in Discover, publishing article previews above titles (via 9to5Google). So far, it appears this new Discover format may either be slowly rolling out or simply in testing, though 9to5Google does report the change is also visible in Google’s iOS app, which sure sounds like a rollout more than A/B testing.

You can see the change quite clearly in the screenshots above (sourced from 9to5Google), where snippets from the body of the article are prominently placed below each image, shoving the actual title below the snippet, giving what could be clickbait (and let’s be real here, Discover is filled to the brim with clickbait) less visibility for each listing.

So, have you been lucky enough to see Google Discover’s new format that favors article snippets over article titles, or are you still seeing the older format and its clickbait titles?